Dissolution parameters of a solid product into a liquid solution, such as a liquid detergent used for cleaning and sanitizing, change based on the operating parameters of and inputs to the dissolution process. Spraying liquid onto a solid product to dissolve it into a liquid solution is one technique. With this technique, the operating parameters change in part based on characteristics within the dispenser, such as the distance between the solid product and the spray nozzle and the change in the pressure and temperature of the liquid being sprayed onto the solid product. Changes in a nozzle's flow rate, spray pattern, spray angle, and nozzle flow can also affect operating parameters, thereby affecting the chemistry, effectiveness, and efficiency of the concentration of the resulting liquid solution. In addition, dissolution of a solid product by spraying generally requires additional space within the dispenser for the nozzles spray pattern to develop and the basin to collect the dissolved product, which results in a larger dispenser.
Dispensing systems using turbulent flow technology have recently begun utilizing harder solid chemical blocks, which result in low concentration capabilities inside the dispenser. With turbulent flow technology, there are various adjustment options to control the solution concentration that exits the dispenser, such as submersion depth, puck-to-product height, the number of perforations in a manifold diffuser, the hole or slot size, the hole or slot layout, the water temperature, the water pressure, and the like. But there is a limit to these adjustment levels. For example, the perforations in the diffuser can only be made to a minimum diameter before fowling with dried chemistry over the life of the dispenser. Also, there is a minimum number of perforations required to fully cover the solid chemical blocks' surface to achieve even erosion. The turbulent flow technology platform has been moving toward more challenging solid blocks, including those made of caustic on hazardous material. As these blocks have become more and more difficult to handle and dispense, the bounds of safety have become an important factor.
Capsules are well-known for use in packaging solid chemistries. However, capsules incur added cost of packaging and processing time, as compared to plastic shrink-wrap pressed chemistries. However, capsules or other types of bottles and storage containers provide safety advantages, particularly for use with hazardous solid chemistries. For example, the capsule is typically sealed with a cap and/or shrink wrap to ensure that no chemistry leaks out during transit. Also, the capsule normally is stored and transported with a cap on top, to further aid in containing all of the chemistry. In use, the capsule is inverted before installation into a turbulent flow dispenser to allow a spray nozzle to introduce water or liquid upwardly into the capsule to erode the solid chemistry and thereby produce a concentrated solution. The installation process can expose the user to the chemistry, since the cap must be removed, thereby allowing powder or solid material inside the capsule to escape and potentially injure or harm the user.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a method and apparatus for utilizing the turbulent flow technology to safely produce a solution concentration from a caustic solid chemistry product without risk to the operator.